Socket organization options

[The Frisco Kid]

This is a spinoff of the original socket organization thread, mostly looking at what is available without fabrication... but I'd love to see those as well. Here are a bunch of options that I have looked at over the years... what else is out there?

Please add to this list if you have an option that I haven't listed.

Craftsman

Magnetic

Lisle

Hansen

Lowe's

Harbor Freight tray

Classic rail

Anodized rail

Double sided rail

Steel tray

Foam

 

[metaleltr]

I made a bunch of trays to organize my craftsman 309 pc socket set. I felt like i was never going to stop fabricating sheet metal!

 

[SnowHill11]

These are mine for 3/4" Drive Sockets. Made from plywood and 3/4" dowels. PM me if you're interested.
View media item 22343

 

[lennoxlennox]

Magnetic Socket Rails


Original magrail

Magrail II

 

[AZ_Catskinner]

In my opinion there is nothing better than the old school steel trays/boxes.

I am constantly on the lookout for old socket trays/set boxes and those old steel wrench racks. Usually they can be had for little of nothing, and with a buck worth of paint and an hour's prep time you have some virtually indestructible socket organization.

 

[McFarmer]

I bought some of the twist lock rails, very hard to work with greasy hands. I would like to know who sells empty trays, they seem to work well, not as flexible however.

 

[d_rock]

DONT FORGET THE ERNST! Thems my favorite. lol

 

[trexdoink]

I think you have them all! I love the Hansen with pins but I found i had an obsession to put a socket on each pin. They do need a deep drawer! Thanks for taking the time.

 

[elguappo]

These are mine for 3/4" Drive Sockets. Made from plywood and 3/4" dowels. PM me if you're interested.
View media item 22343

This is EXACTLY what I was talking about in the full Hansen tray thread.
Well done.

 

[kippieland]

Have you seen the magnetic mats? Look pretty cool to me....a bit pricey.

 

[Mickey O]

 

[crewchief888]

In my opinion there is nothing better than the old school steel trays/boxes.

I am constantly on the lookout for old socket trays/set boxes and those old steel wrench racks. Usually they can be had for little of nothing, and with a buck worth of paint and an hour's prep time you have some virtually indestructible socket organization.

i agree

luckily when i bought a lot of my socket sets they were either in a metal tray, or one was available from SO.

but i use a lot of different "systems",
metal trays
SO metal rails
MTS magnetic organizers
lisle flat tray
even okro bins

i have some hansens at home, along with rails, metal trays, and MTS
but they take up way too much in my service truck box to be of much use there.

i've been buying metal trays, boxes and some older CM plastic boxes when i see them.
my 1/4dr set at home is still in it's original SK plastic hinged box

 

[MechanicNamedJohn]

I just got a CM socket set a while ago, and the day they arrived I went to Harbor Freight and grabbed a few sets of the metric and standard trays. They take up a lot of space, and the missing sizes annoyed me, but I snapped the center strips off (with the size labels,) and now I love them. Plus I can now place sockets in between the two rows. I may put the deeps all in one tray and the shallows in the other, but not sure. Regardless, even though they take up a lot of space, I can easily find what am looking for. This may not work for everyone, but my CM set are the "easy to read" ones, so I don't need the tray to tell me what size the sockets are.